An Airport Master Plan is a study used to determine the long-term maintenance and development requirements for an airport. The 2030 Charles M. Schulz – Sonoma County Airport Master Plan includes a variety of project elements that would be implemented at the Airport over the course of the next twenty years. The AMP includes projects related to maintaining and improving Airport safety, and maintaining and upgrading Airport facilities.
The proposed project is the implementation of the 2030 Airport Master Plan (AMP). The project elements in the AMP are the focus of the EIR document that is required by CEQA. The EIR describes the proposed project, the existing environmental conditions, the impacts from construction and operation of the proposed project as well as mitigation measures to reduce or eliminate impacts.
The primary goal of an airport master plan is to provide guidance for future airport development, which will provide the facilities needed to satisfy forecast demand, while at the same time balancing the need for airport improvements with local concerns.
An Airport Master Plan typically covers a twenty (20) year time period. The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) recommends that airport owners or sponsors, such as the County of Sonoma, update airport master plans every 10 years. The previous Master Plan for STS was completed in 1998.
The components of an airport master plan are established by the FAA. They include an inventory, surveys, and data collection; aviation activity forecasts; demand and capacity analysis; determination of facility requirements; identification of issues; development of alternatives and concepts; a financial plan; environmental review/analysis; an implementation plan; and the updating of Airport Layout Plan (ALP) documents in accordance with Federal airport operating and design standards.
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) recommends updating Airport Master Plans every 10 years. The County initiated this master plan update to plan for the safe and efficient operation of STS, while addressing airport improvement needs as well as community concerns.
The County of Sonoma, as the owner and operator of the Sonoma County Airport, determines how STS will be developed. The FAA provides guidance in order to ensure that proposed airport facilities meet important safety standards.
No. The Master Plan update actually forecasts lower numbers of based aircraft, lower levels of aircraft operations, and lower numbers of passengers than the forecasts that were used for the General Plan Air Transportation Element (ATE) and the Sonoma County Comprhensive Land Use Plan (CLUP). A comparison of the three forecasts is provided below*:
|
Document |
ATE |
CLUP |
DAMP** |
|
Based Aircraft |
800 |
*** |
447 |
|
Operations |
|||
|
General Aviation |
240,000 |
210,000**** |
156,094 |
|
Airlines |
15,200 |
15,000 |
7,716 |
|
Total Operations |
255,200 |
225,000 |
163,810 |
|
Passengers |
573,000 |
*** |
524,746 |
| *Forecast years through 2020 ** DAMP = Draft Airport Master Plan *** This item not forecasted in the CLUP **** The CLUP forecasts are though 2010 only |
|||
No. The draft Master Plan update does not forecast or call for an expansion of the number of aircraft or the level of activity at STS beyond the limits that were adopted in the Sonoma County General Plan Air Transportation Element (ATE).
The Master Plan consultant analyzed existing facilities and forecast demand for a twenty-year period into the future. Several facility requirements were identified for STS, including extensions of runways 14 and 19, construction of a runway 32 service road, construction of an aircraft rescue and firefighting building, construction of a terminal, rehabilitation of apron areas, relocation of the Air Traffic Control Tower, installation of lights on runway 1-19, and several other projects necessary to maintain current facilities. Several alternative scenarios were developed using various layouts and locations for development. The various recommendations will be analyzed with the goal of maximizing safety and operational efficiency, while minimizing costs and environmental impacts.
No. Longer runways are needed to accommodate 50 to 70-seat Regional Jet (RJ) aircraft that are smaller than the Q-400 used by Horizon Air. Most airlines wishing to provide service to our community would like to start out using Regional Jets. RJs are quiet technology aircraft that meet the limits established in the ATE. Due to the performance characteristics of some of the RJs, longer runways are needed in order to (1) provide service at STS, and (2) to increase the number of destinations available from STS.
The runway lengths chosen by the County for further study are a compromise. Longer runways could have been justified based on historical temperatures and their effect on aircraft performance.
There will be no direct costs to the taxpayers of Sonoma County because airport development is paid for through a mix of both federal and local airport funds. These funds include Airport Improvement Program (AIP) Funds from the FAA. AIP Funds are derived from taxes on national and international travel, air cargo taxes, and noncommercial aviation fuel. Ultimately, it is the users of STS who fund the local share for improvements through rent, fees, passenger facility charges and purchases at STS.
| Currently, funding for the majority of the projects is as follows: | ||
|
Contributor |
Percent to Total |
|
|
Federal Aviation Administration |
95% |
|
|
Sonoma County Airport |
5% |
|
Currently, Gulfstream 500s, Global Express jets, and the Boeing Business Jet, (a version of the Boeing 737), are the largest aircraft that operate at STS. These jets are among the quietest aircraft that use STS. These modern aircraft are used for corporate/business activity and have wingspans of approximately 115 feet. Larger aircraft are not anticipated at STS in the future because of runway weight restrictions.
At STS, Runway 14/32 is the preferred runway for takeoffs and landings for the following reasons:
The comment period closed on Monday, September 19, 2011.
It is anticipated the Board of Supervisors may take a final vote to certify the Master Plan update in December 2011.
The Master Plan update itself does not cause or result in an increase in aviation activity, however the Master Plan update does forecast an increase in aviation activity. As noted above, the draft Airport Master Plan update forecasts lower numbers of based aircraft, lower levels of aircraft operations, and lower numbers of passengers than the forecasts used for the Sonoma County General Plan Air Transportation Element (ATE) and the Sonoma County Comprehensive Land Use Plan (CLUP).
The purpose of purchasing additional land is to protect the approaches to the runways and to provide a noise buffer.
STS continues to talk with Alaska and other airlines about adding new destinations to the schedule. Currently Alaska provides service to Las Vegas, Los Angeles, Portland, and Seattle. There is great demand for service to San Diego and to an eastern hub like Denver, Salt Lake City, or Phoenix, both as destinations and for the connectivity. It is anticipated that San Diego may be added to the schedule within the next few years. There is no time frame for adding an eastern hub at this time.
The runway extension itself does not go over Airport Creek; however, the extended runway safety area will go over the creek and necessitate the culverting of approximately 1,200 to 1,500 lineal feet of Airport Creek. Note that there will be no impact to Mark West Creek as a result of the Master Plan Update and runway extension.
The comment period closed on September 19, 2011, and the Airport Master Plan was approved by the County of Sonoma Board of Supervisors on January 24, 2012.
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